Backplane controller to arbitrate multiplexing of communication

Abstract

A backplane controller to couple to a carrier interface and a plurality of host controllers of different types. The backplane controller is to identify a host controller corresponding to a type of a storage device of a storage device carrier. The storage device carrier is to interface with the carrier interface. The backplane controller is to arbitrate multiplexing of communication between the carrier interface and the identified host controller.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A system comprising:
 a backplane controller to couple to a carrier interface and a plurality of host controllers of different types, and to identify a host controller corresponding to a type of a storage device of a storage device carrier to interface with the carrier interface; 
 wherein the backplane controller is to arbitrate multiplexing of communication between the carrier interface and the identified host controller; and 
 wherein the carrier interface is physically removably coupleable with a universal storage device carrier that the carrier interface is to universally accept, such that a first type of storage device, controllable by a corresponding first one of the plurality of host controllers, can be removed and replaced via carrier at the carrier interface with a storage device of a second type, controllable by a corresponding second one of plurality of host controllers, based on arbitration by the backplane controller. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is to couple to the plurality of host controllers and the carrier interface via an I2C bus. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is to pass communications between the identified host controller and the carrier interface regardless of host controller type and storage device type, wherein the communications include reset, hot-plug, and hot-removal instructions. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is to enable hot-plug and hot-removal functionality for storage device carriers that are based on a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is to operate an indicator of the storage device earlier to indicate an operational status of the storage device, regardless of host controller type and storage device type. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 5 , wherein the backplane controller is to couple with an I2C inband of a drive connector of the storage device carrier, to control an indicator controller of the storage device. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), the plurality of host controllers are I2C master devices, and the backplane controller is to interface different types of storage devices based on general purpose input/output (GPIO) management. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of host controllers includes a serial attached small computer system interface (SCSI) redundant array of independent disks (SAS RAID) controller, a SCSI express controller, and a PCIe storage device inband I2C master controller. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is to simultaneously interface with a plurality of storage device carriers. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is to identify the type of the storage device based on querying a storage device pin. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is to enable a controller path based on sensing an interface detect signal and a presence detect signal. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is to serve as a slave device to a SCSI express host controller to provide GPIO functions, to report events to the SCSI express host controller via an interrupt signal and receive commands from the SCSI express host controller via I2C. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the backplane controller is coupled via an I2C bus, and is to arbitrate imiltiplexing, in response to an instruction, to enable the storage device to itself master the I2C bus. 
     
     
       14. A system comprising:
 a backplane including a plurality of host controllers of different types to control storage devices of corresponding different types, wherein the backplane is to couple to a storage device of a storage device carrier based on a carrier interface coupled to the backplane; and 
 a backplane controller coupled to the plurality of host controllers and the carrier interface, to identify a host controller corresponding to a type of the storage device, and arbitrate multiplexing of communication between the carrier interface and the identified host controller; 
 wherein the carrier interface is physically removably coupleable with a universal storage device carrier that the carrier interface is to universally accept, such that a first type of storage device, controllable by a corresponding first one of the plurality of host controllers, can be removed and replaced via carrier at the carrier interface with a storage device of a second type, controllable by a corresponding second one of the plurality of host controllers, based on arbitration by the backplane controller. 
 
     
     
       15. A method, comprising:
 identifying, by a backplane controller, a type of storage device of a storage device carrier to be interfaced with a carrier interface coupled to the backplane controller; 
 identifying, by the backplane controller, a host controller corresponding to the type of storage device, wherein the identified host controller is from a plurality of host controllers of different types coupled to the backplane controller; and 
 arbitrating, by the backplane controller, multiplexing of communication between the carrier interface and the identified host controller; 
 wherein the carrier interface is physically removably coupleable with a universal storage device carrier that the carrier interface is to universally accept, such that a first type of storage device, controllable by a corresponding first one of the plurality of host controllers, can be removed and replaced via carrier at the carrier interface with a storage device of a second type, controllable by a corresponding second one of the plurality of host controllers, based on arbitration by the backplane controller.